sedimentary rock,rock formed at or near the Earth’s surface by the accumulation and lithification of sediment (detrital rock) or by the precipitation from solution at normal surface temperatures (chemical rock). Sedimentary rocks are the most common rocks exposed on the Earth’s surface but are only a minor constituent of the entire crust, which is dominated by igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Sedimentary rocks are produced by the weathering of preexisting rocks and the subsequent transportation and deposition of the weathering products. Weathering refers to the various processes of physical disintegration and chemical decomposition that occur when rocks at the Earth’s surface ... (100 of 18,403 words)